Optimates Seize the Initiative!

 After an energetic beginning by the Populares, hereinafter Caesarians as often as not, the Optimates - Pompeians - began to take the fight to their political adversaries. Their first move was to intercept the Caesarian expedition to Africa by bringing the fleet to battle off the southeast Sicilian coast. Meanwhile, Ahenobarbus's army, defeated near Massilia, fell back to Narbo. The remaining activation, Afranius's Army moved to Ilerda.

This seemed to place the Optimates on their mettle. Rather than passively to await Caesar's drive into the Iberian Peninsula, over the following weeks they determined upon taking the initiative themselves on this front. Meanwhile, what was left of the Optimates galley fleet left Sicily and returned to Thapsus, where they were to meet Varus's land force.

Optimates' first moves

From a campaign mechanics point of view events went like this. For each turn, the initiative was determined by a die roll, Red (Populares) versus White (Optimates). The first roll went 6-3 in Red's favour. Now, that same roll determined how much could be activated. All the Caesarian armies and fleets could do something, and did, leading to the battle near Massilia. In their turn, the Optimates could activate three formations only: the retreat from Massilia, the fleet attack at Syracuse, and the move north to Ilerda by Afranius's army.

Then the next roll was exactly reversed 3-6. In Africa, the Pompeians concentrated their army and fleet at Thapsus, to await what the Caesarians would do. In Spain, Ahenobarbus returned to the attack at Massilia, with the galley fleet also leaving Narbo, to arrive off Massilia. The transports having no reason to go to Massilia, they were left behind at Narbo. Of course, Trebonius's army was awaiting them, but the Pompeians having 'stolen a march', they arrived whilst Caesar's army and the fleet were still at the other end of the gulf of Genoa, at Luca. 

Before resuming the narrative - a further action at Massilia - I have a few comments to make on the game mechanics. I have already described how the initiative and activation rolls work. Instead of separate rolls, I have conflated them into a single roll. I believe someone else came up with this idea. I thought I'd give it a try.

A question was raised concerning replacement of losses. Now, as I want this to be a fairly brisk campaign, attrition will have to be fairly brutal. For the armies, defeat is treated pretty punitively: the victorious army recovers half the SPs lost, allocated according to troop type; the defeated loses the lot. There may be a difficulty when losses are shared among disparate troops types, leaving odd numbers to be divided. In halving, the returned troops are rounded up overall, and may also be among the types, provided the overall count is not exceeded.

Suppose an army loses 1SP from each of a legionary, an auxilia and a mounted unit: 3SP overall. Halving the three, rounded, allows 2SP to be returned. Who gets them? The player decides. 

Some points on battle game mechanics.

Land Battles:

All combats are competitive, high roll 'winning' and forcing the enemy back. 
Rolls are modified by SP value, presence of general with the unit, and/or direct support (given by velites only).

A roll of 5 or 6 scores a hit upon the opponent. In the battles so far I have allowed 'modified' 5s and 6s to score hits, but that seems too punitive. So henceforth, only 'natural' 5s and 6s reduce SP values.

Only velites (light infantry) can offer direct support, and that to a legionary unit. If giving direct support, it can not 'shoot before contact'. Direct support adds +1 to the legionary combat roll.

Except for velites, the rear unit of two in the same square offers 'indirect' support. It contributes nothing to the combat, but if the lead unit is forced back, it retreats, as it were through the rear unit to the space behind. A following up enemy will engage the second unit in the same square in which the primary combat took place. 

The 'Reserve' zone behind the 3x3 battlefield may accommodate 2 units only. If a third unit is forced back into a Reserve Zone, it is automatically destroyed, and all its SPs lost. The battle is automatically lost at the end of the player turn in which this occurs.

If at the end of a player turn, one side finds at least one of its rear sectors occupied by the enemy, with nothing in front of them, that side must in the next player turn bring one of its own units in front of the enemy, that is to say, between the enemy and the side's Reserve zone. Failure to do so means the army is defeated. Note that that assumes the next player turn will be that of the imperiled side. If the enemy happens, owing to winning the initiative dice roll, to get two moves in a row, then they win and the battle is over. 

Naval battles:

I have just been reading Thucydides's (The Peloponnesian War) account of the Athenian campaign against Syracuse, which featured a number of naval battles. It seems that ships so damaged as to be put out of action were (a) able (potentially) to be withdrawn out of the fight, and (b) recoverable for service fairly shortly.

Roman warships were a deal more heavily built, so, when damaged may not have been so easily repaired. To keep things simple in this campaign, all vessels sunk in action are totally lost; all other SP damage is automatically recovered. In the last Syracuse battle, both sides lost half their galley fleets.

Mark Cordone's galley rules disregard facing. As the ships represent squadrons of possibly dozens of vessels, this makes a deal of sense. However, I'm inclined to see a flanking attack as the 'periplous manoeuvre', much favoured by the Athenians. I daresay the Romans were not averse to taking their chances on such an attack as well. 

So I have added the rule that a galley stand moving into contact upon the flank of an enemy galley stand adds +1 to its combat roll. It also counts a 4, as well as a 5 or 6, for reducing the target's SP by 1. 
Enemy still afloat and forced back after such a strike may retreat towards their own rear, or in the direction whence the attack came, provided they don't exceed the 2-stand limit in each square or Reserve Zone.
Enemy still afloat may also turn to face, after the initial combat has been resolved. That attacker following up adds the +1 for the flank attack only if it strikes a new opponent in the flank. 

Further Operations around Massilia.

Following his defeat in the first month of the Civil War, the Pompeian commander L. Domitius Ahenobarbus fell back upon the sea port of Narbo. There he discovered that Afranius had determined upon seizing the initiative from the Caesarians, to recover Massilia and, Fortuna willing, push on to Rome itself. The fleet also departed Narbo to arrive off Massilia.

At once Ahenobarbus turned his battered army around to try conclusions once more with the Caesarians. For his part, G. Trebonius had been rather resting upon his laurels, and had made no move from Massilia (that is to say, by winning the initiative roll - with a big score, too - the Pompeians got two moves in a row). Nevertheless, news of Ahenobarbus's approach was enough for Trebonius to lead his army out to meet him.

The Armies: 

Populares (Caesarian) - Red:
I  Legionary unit = 2SP
II Auxiliary unit = 2SP
III Legionary unit with Trebonius commanding = 3SP +1SP= 3SP

IV Legionary unit = 2SP 

V Velites (Light infantry unit) in direct support of I Legion = 2SP

VI Equites heavy horse = 2SP

Totals: 14SP plus commander



Optimates (Pompeian) - White:
I  Legionary unit with Ahenobarbus commanding = 3SP +1SP
II  Velites unit in direct support = 2SP
IV and VI  Legionary units @2SP = 4SP
III  Auxiliary unit = 1SP
V Equites light horse = 1SP
Totals: 11SP plus commander

Already the consequences of defeat have been made apparent, by the depleted units among the Pompeian array.



The armies chose a battlefield in somewhat hilly country, with both sides lined up with their left wings standing upon rising ground. Both sides also placed their legionaries in the front line. Behind the Caesarian right stood their sole mounted contingent; their weakest Legion prepared to defend from their hill. The Pompeians were inclined, rather riskily, to keep their light troops in reserve.
 
Winning an early initiative, the Pompeians advanced, but were at once engaged all along the front. The Caesarian I Legion came hurtling down from its hilltop into the enemy IV Legion, and drove it back with loss almost upon its reserves. Although IV Legion damaged Pompeian VI, the latter managed to hold. 

In the centre, III Legion, with Trebonius in direct command, began promisingly by pushing back Ahenobarbus in I Legion. But losses heavy on both sides - heavier still among the Caesarians, when their opponents refused to be hustled into their reserve area.



The tide very soon began to ebb for the Caesarians in the centre, as Ahenobarbus stopped their advance, held, and then began pushing them back, losses mounting all the while. Trebonius himself fell as III Legion disintegrated. Although the Caesarians were holding comfortably on the flanks, they were unable make that final push. The Caesarians might yet have recovered to win the day, but the initiative remained firmly in the Pompeian grasp. The Caesarians fell back in defeat.



Now, that was an extraordinary victory, against the odds, by the Pompeians.  Losses were heavy on both sides: 4SP apiece, apart from the loss of Caesar's general. All the Caesarian losses came out of the centre; III Legion annihilated, and the velites also taking a loss. As might have been expected, all 4 SP Pompeian SP lost came out of their legionaries. 

As the victorious Pompeians recover half their losses from this battle, their net loss so far has been 2 + 5 = 7 SP from the two battles. The Caesarians lose all four from this, but just 2 from the previous for a net loss of 6SP. But now Caesar has to find a commander for Trebonius's command...

In response to the Pompeian offensive in the Gallia Narbonensis, Caesar has just 3 activations available. Does he concentrate his efforts there, or allow Curio to go ahead at once with the African expedition?

To be continued...

The Civil War Begins...

The battle lines drawn upon a battle plain
not far from Massilia. Optimates -
Pompeians - in the foreground

The growing hostility between the rival claimants for power in Rome finally led to the gathering of forces, to an ultimatum, and at last open warfare. Deciding that, as the dice were already cast he would abide the outcome, the leader of the Populares - the Commons, so to speak - Julius Caesar, defied the prohibition, crossed the 'Red Line' of the Rubicon river, and marched on Rome with his veterans.

Swiftly overrunning northern provinces, his rapid advance induced the leaders of the Optimates ('Upper crust', 'Creme-de-la-creme', 'Toffs', take your pick) faction - Pompeius Maximus and the Consuls to quit Rome in a hurry, and to hie themselves down to Brindisi where they were putting together a fleet to transport an army across the Ionian Sea. Caesar was just too late to catch them. 

Rome lay at Caesar's feet. Unable for the moment to come at Pompey's forces, Caesar decided upon a campaign to bring the whole of the Western provinces under his sway. Sending Gaius Trebonius ahead to take massilia in the Gallia Narbonensis, he followed on with his main  army...

...

The Leader of the Populares,
about to cross the Red Line... Sorry: Rubicon

The Optimates Party had a considerable presence in the west: L. Domitius Ahenobarbus (Red Beard) guarding the Narbonensis approaches to Iberia; Lucius Afranius with an army at Tarraco and Lucius Nasidius with a fleet at Narbo. North Africa was held for Pompey by M. Tarantius Varus, with a fleet under - well, let's call him Q. Querilus Querus.

Against these forces Caesar had ready to march:
Gaius Trebonius with an army at Luca, C. Scribonius Curio at Capua, together with a fleet of galleys and transports under C. Caninius Rebillus, and his own army at Rome, with a fleet under Decimus Brutus ready to sail. 

Strategic situation in the Western Mediterranean Sea 
at the outset of the campaign.

So, both sides had three armies and two fleets.

The armies comprised:

4 x Legionary units @ 3SP = 12SP
2 x Auxiliary units @ 2SP = 4SP

1 x Velites light infantry = 2SP

1 x Equites heavy cavalry = 2SP

uniquely, the Optimates also had 1 = Equites light horse = 2SP

For each land battle, both sides could field 6 units, selected at random from (and bearing in mind the limits of) the available list. The army commanders are not separate figures, but remains attached to one Legionary unit, which is classed as 'elite', or 'veteran'. It is very tempting to give at least the Caesarian legionary units a combat edge, as being a deal more battle-hardened than their opponents. After one battle, though, I haven't made up my mind about this.

The fleets each comprised 8 galleys: 
2 x Heavy Galleys - call them septiremes @ 3SP
6 x Medium Galleys - quinquiremes @ 2SP
The fleet commander may be in any vessel, add +1 to any combat roll. 
Attached to each fleet, optionally, is a fleet of 6 transports @1SP 
Transport and galleys can all transport troops:

• Transports: 1 unit
• Galleys: 1 Strength Point
  

Note that which vessels are carrying which units have to be identified, so that their loss means the loss of their passengers. 

Battles are fought between just 6 vessels a side. How many of the heavy galleys are present is determined by a die roll: 

• 1-2 = no septiremes present; 
• 3-4 = 1 septireme present;
• 5-6 = 2 septiremes present.
  

All the battles, sea and land, are fought under the Fast Play 3x3 Portable Game system pioneered by Mark Cordone. I have made some small tweaks specifically for this campaign.

Land battles. 

For these I have begun using a convention similar to Martin Rapier's as briefly outlined in the original Wargames Compendium. 
All combats are competitive, except when shooting at a target that can't shoot back. Only the velites and light horse can shoot. Although the Legionaries are armed with a heavy throwing weapon, this is really a close combat weapon, of very limited range, designed as much to hamper the enemy as to hurt him.

Higher roll forces enemy back.
Score of 5 or 6 scores a hit that reduces enemy by 1SP. This can be combined with a force-back. 
Examples:

• White 3 - Red 4 = White is forced back
• White 5 - Red 2 = Red takes an SP loss and is forced back.
• White 6 - Red 6 = Both sides take an SP loss.
• White 6 - Red 5 = Both sides take an SP loss, and Red is forced back

The only troops that can give direct support to a lead unit in the same square, are the velites. With velites in support, legionaries or auxilia add +1 to the combat score. However, velites so placed do not shoot. If the lead unit is forced back, when the velites are offering direct rear support, the velites are also forced back (but do not take any SP loss).
The rear unit in the same square remains in place if the lead unit follows up a victorious combat, or retires after a defeat. It may be engaged by a following up enemy. 

The army reserve area may hold just two units. If a third joins them having been forced back there, the incoming unit is at once destroyed, its SPs lost.

If the army has no units in one (or more) of the left, centre, right sectors, it must at once attempt to restore restore some presence there. This assumes that they army has the initiative, and the troops available. If the enemy has the initiative, the battle is lost.

Sea battles.

All combats, shooting and close (ramming, raking, grappling, boarding) are competitive: both sides roll, per ship, 1D6.
The die score is added to the current SP value, plus +1 for the commander's ship when in close combat. 
The higher score forces back the enemy ship, whatever its value.
A 5 or 6 scores a damaging hit upon the enemy.
A tied score results in the ships remaining locked together, except if one (or both) sink. 
If the combat result is 6-5, both ships take a hit, but the lower score, if still afloat, gets driven back. 

Caesar's opening moves...

Battle of Massilia.

The army of C. Trebonius was met outside Massilia by a similar sized force under L. Domitius Ahenobarbus. The 'random' selection resulted in the following forces available:

Trebonius:
3 average Legionary units @3SP = 9SP - first line
1 average Velites unit = 2SP - second line right flank direct support
1 elite Legionary unit with army commander: 3SP (+6SP for the army commander) - second line centre
1 average Auxiliary units = 2SP - second line left

Total: 22SP

Ahenobarbus:
1 average Equites light horse = 2SP First line - right flank
2 average Legionary units @3SP = 6SP - first line centre and left
1 average Equites heavy horse = 2SP - second line right flank
1 elite Legionary unit with army commander: 3SP (+6SP for the army commander) - second line, centre
1 average Auxiliary unit = 2SP - second line, left flank.

Battle lines: Pompeian POV.

This action was brief and to the point. Winning the initiative from the start and maintaining it throughout the battle, the Populares - let's call them Caesarians - were at first successful on the right, forcing back the opposing legionaries with loss, but were then forced back in turn by the Pompeian auxiliaries. In the centre, the caesarians got rather the worse of the fighting, losing 2SP to none, and being driven back to their original deployment area. 

Hard fought Caesarian victory, but losses have been heavy. 

The decisive action was on the left. The Pompeian cavalry found themselves driven all the way back, between them 3SP the poorer, into their reserve zone. A beaten legionary unit already being there, the cavalry were destroyed, and the army unable to restore the situation when the Caesarians again won the initiative. Losses were 4SP on the Caesarian side; 6SP on the Pompeian.

The Sea battle.

Loading his troops upon his galleys and transport, Gaius Curio set off to Syracuse, where he decanted his passengers ashore for a little carouse before taking the second leg to the African shore at Thapsus.
In response,  Terentius Varus ordered the fleet, commanded, apparently, by one Q. Querulus Querus to intercept and attack the Roman fleet before it left Syracuse. Seeing the Pompeian approach, Caninus Rebillus brought out most of his fleet to face the enemy.


 
Caesarian Fleet:
1 Elite Heavy galleys = 3SP with commander aboard, +1SP
1 Average heavy galley = 3SP
4 Average medium galleys @2SP = 8SP
Total: 15SP

Pompeian Fleet:
1 Elite Heavy galley = 3SP with commander aboard, +1SP
5 Average medium galleys @2SP = 10SP 
Total: 14SP

The fleets lined up. Caesarians on the right. The ships are differenced
by white markings on the Pompeian stem and fishtail stern posts;
red markings on the Caesarian. The latter being indistinct here, 
I have re-done them since this battle.

The action close to the shore line, both sides advances with 5 out of 6 vessels in line, the remainder forming a reserve. The Caesarians placed the heavy units at the seaward end of the line, with the reserve unit behind them. The plan was to smash through the Pompeian right, then to turn in upon the enemy centre. For their part, the Pompeian commander placed his 'flagship' in the left-centre of his line, with the hope of punching through the Caesarian centre.

Heavy losses already: 4 Pompeian SP, 5 Caesarian
and a central unit sunk besides!

The fighting was fierce from the outset, and, far from having it all their way, things were not going well for the Caesarians. At the seaward end, the lighter Pompeian galleys were giving as good as they were getting - with heavy losses on both sides. In the centre, the matching medium galleys were mauling each other as much. But Querus's septiremes smashed through the Caesarian line, forcing the commitment of the latter's reserve.



On the other hand, at the shore end of the line, the Caesarians were getting somewhat the better of the action. Which would succeed: the Caesarian 'periplous' or the Pompeian 'diekplous'?

Caesarian centre sunk, the reserve sweeps 
into action to save the day.

Momentarily it seemed the Pompeians would prevail. Completely destroying the Caesarian centre squadron, they set about dealing to the flanks. At this point, the ratio of ships lost were 3 to 1 against the Caesarians. Possibly I ought to have called the battle here, with a decisive Pompeian victory. But as the combatants were still locked in battle. I allowed it to continue.



This rather turned in favour of the Caesarians. As their reserves engaged the victorious Pompeian centre, the Caesarians turned the encouraging situation on both flanks more decisively in their favour. Although the Caesarian reserve was summarily despatched, the wings sank their adversaries altogether.


Both sides ready for a fight to the finish, the 4 - 4 loss ratio was enough to persuade both sides that enough damage had been done for the day. They drew off, caesarians back to the safe harbout of Syracuse; the Pompeians along the coast, before the survivors returned to Thapsus the following day or two. The losses marginally favoured the Pompeians: losing 4 medium galleys, they had sent to the bottom one of the Caesarian heavies, along with the 3 mediums.

End of the action: both sides too battered to continue...

Tactical draw as the battle was, it seemed strategically inconclusive as well. The Caesarian expedition was not stopped outright, and had retained enough shipping to carry their entire force across the Sea of Sicily into Africa. But the Pompeians still had a fleet in being - and maybe a whisker of a superiority among the fighting ships. Perhaps the rump of their galley fleet might yet achieve something...

To be continued: The remainder of the Pompeian 'first moves'. 

Legion and Galley: Generic Transport Fleet

Here's the latest: a transport fleet. These 4 vessels represent troop or supply transports for either side - and really stands for a much larger fleet. Each vessel will be able to carry up to 2 light infantry stands (velites) or 1 stand of any other type. 

Transport ships will have 1 strength point only. If carrying troops, they may attempt a boarding action...

As I was typing this up, I thought it just as well to add a couple more transports to allow the movement of 6-unit armies. Note, by the way, that the Populares have 8 (4 Legionary, 2 Auxilia, 1 Heavy Cavalry, and 1 Velites) and the Optimates 9 (the same plus one Light Horse) units from which to choose their 6 for battle. 

As Gaius Curio has to make the choice before leaving Capua, he has with him:
4 Legionary units @3SP = 12SP
1 Cavalry unit = 2SP
1 Velites (light infantry) = 2SP

Note that there are no separate individual command figures. They stand - and fall - with one of the legionary units, which count as 'elite'.

The army of Gaius Curio transported from Capua, via Syracuse,
to North Africa. The galley fleet escorts the transports.

As one of the early moves, the Populares Army commanded by Gaius Curio will have to be transported from Capua, via Syracuse, into North Africa. And that thought at once set me off making two more of these things. At one unit per transport, a 6-unit army may be sent off. Of course, they will be accompanied by the galley fleet...

A closer view of the 5th and 6th transport vessels. I have 
not added the swan's neck to the poop deck...

The underside of the transports will be numbered 1-6, with the idea of allocating units to ships. If ever a laden transport ship is lost at sea, we'll know which land unit went with it...

The fleet upon my 3x3 naval battle board

To be continued: Opening moves, and the (land) battle of Massilia.

Legion and Galley

 

Mark Cordone's 'Hoplite' strategic game, including as it does a naval aspect, was enough to distract me from the naval projects I had already going. It led to my building rival fleets of galleys, which might be those of historical Athens and Sparta, or perhaps of the imaginary Ionian Thalassocracy against Opforia. But, as i don't have any Greek armies, methought to translate the whole concept a few centuries and to another part of the Mediterranean Sea.

So lets have a Roman Civil War: The Optimates (the 'Best') against the Populares (supporters of the People). 

Above, the rival fleets have grown to 8 vessels apiece. The latest units are slightly larger than the original dozen. The nearer row is that of the Populares.

Red shield legionaries and 'star shield' auxiliaries and light troops of the Populares.

White shield legionaries and the green and blue shields of the light troops belong to the Optimates.

A tentative strategic map, with the Populares centred around Italy and Rome. The Optimates have armies in Africa, Spain and Gallia Narbonensus.

This little article is by way of a foreshadowing. I'll be reverting  back for the time being to my Jono's World navies for the next posting or two.

Battle of the Laroc Sea: The Invasion Convoy

The Invasion Fleet turns to escape the Kiivar
warships...

 


Whilst the Ra'esharn Navy was winning some sort of victory off Petosi Point, the Kiivar Task Force 34 was concentrating its efforts against the Invasion Convoy in the Lindisfarne Strait. The lead vessels rashly having entered the narrow waters, the lack of sea room offered problematical chances of escape as Kiivar's two big warships closed to short range. 

At this point the problem of turning circles required a review. The distance across a hex represented a couple or so nautical miles, but I didn't want ships darting hither and thither at will. For this action, I enacted that the convoy's ships could face about, but, in so doing, could not in the same turn move from the hexes within which they stood. It was this delay that brought them under the guns of Task Force 34.



Since then I have provisionally formulated this rule:
If a vessel travels 2 or 3 hexes in a Turn, it may change direction up to 60 degrees during its move;
If a vessel travels 1 hex in a Turn, it may change direct up to 120 degrees during its move;
A vessel wishing the change direction more than 120 degrees, must do do in the same hex, with no lateral movement at all.

So it was with the Convoy. All the ships turned 120 degrees to escape the trap. But the situation was becoming dire.

Some relief was to be had as RNS Barbatos approached from its victory over SNS Hakawai. At first the main island of the Petosi Group masked the approach of KNS Harrier, so the first salvoes hit the cruiser, Heirax. But as the Harrier came into view, Barbatos found itself  'crossing the T' of the Kiivar battleship. The result can be imagined. Already having taken damage from earlier encounters, Harrier took a deal more than it was able to inflict in return. All the same, Harrier used its secondary armament, and Heirax its own guns, to pound the leading Ra'esharn transports. Soon the two leading - now rear - vessels, MSS Chubbi Maru and Barracuda were stopped, dead in the water, and aflame from end to end. 

And then the air attack came in.

After beating off a Ra'esharn air attack (see previous episode) SNS Bake-kujira had completed rearming its own bombers, and launched them in an air strike against the Invasion Convoy. The fighters  unavailable owing to their recent sorties, the bombers flew without escorts.

Under strict instructions that the transports were the priority targets, they overflew the escort carrier. The attack was somewhat reduced on account of earlier losses, a dozen aircraft aimed towards the MS Ramjam, alongside the carrier, and eight took on the lead vessel in each column, MSS Shagnasti and Mangla.

 

The fighters from Angra Mainyu naturally intercepted the strongest attack, and drove the bombers away from Ramjam, though losing some aircraft (1FP) in doing so. But the other attacks went in with nothing to concern them but the light flak. The bombers got through to Mangla without loss, but were unable themselves to score a hit. Only four (1FP) torpedo bombers survived the flak to attack Shagnasti. Their determination reaped its reward: a torpedo strike amidships (the single die threw a six) that stopped the transport vessel dead in the water. In a near sinking condition, the ship had to be abandoned. Casualties among the soldiery and the loss of equipment left the battalion being carried unfit for operations for a long time thereafter.

At that, the following ship, Ramjam, very nearly ran aboard the stricken Shagnasti.  

With the sinking by gunfire of Chubbi Maru and Barracuda, and the rout of the rest of the Invasion Force, the Kiivar squadron concluded it had done enough to save Port Fewersby. Harrier was under damaging close range gunfire from Barbatos and taking a deal more damage than it was handing out. The Saabian Task Forces had been scattered, and there was little more that the Allies could achieve. The Battle of the Laroc Sea was over.

For ever afterwards, historians would argue who 'won' the Battle of Laroc Sea. Undoubtedly the Ra'esharn Navy had borne off the tactical laurels, as indicated by the respective damage to the rival forces:

Ra'esharn losses:
1 cruiser sunk,
3 destroyers sunk
2 cruisers critically damaged 
1 light carrier moderately damaged
8 fighters (2FP) and 28 bombers (7FP) shot down 

Allied losses:
1 battleship sunk
1 fleet carrier sunk
3 destroyers sunk
2 cruisers critically damaged
1 battleship (KNS Harrier) badly damaged (-14FP out of 24)
4 fighters (1FP) and 36 bombers (9FP) shot down.

But against that slight disaster to the Allied Navies, the invasion fleet had been stopped dead. Of the five transports, two had been sunk and a third had to be abandoned and scuttled.  Could the still distant carrier group have still carried the invasion fleet through? Possibly, but for the fact that the 3000-strong brigade group had effectively been wrecked. There was no chance that what was left of it, no more than a couple of battalions, could have taken and held Port Fewersby...

On the whole I was rather pleased with the way this playtest went. I wanted a complex action, with plenty and various events happening. I was moderately surprised at the result, it didn't seem to me 'out of the way'. When I do something similar in future, it will be on a field larger by 50% - 6 hex sheets instead of 4. I'm also looking at giving a Midway a try, and part of the Leyte Gulf battle: Surigao Strait. 

* * *

My apologies to readers for the week-long gap that separated postings in this series. I really ought to have resisted the temptation to allow myself to be sidetracked into what will be the topic of my next posting...

Battle of Laroc Sea - Action off Petosi Point

 

Action of Lindisfarne Strait. RNS Charun and R21 have taken
a terrible battering, but KNS Harrier has been holed by a torpedo.

As the Kiivar Task Force 34 brought concentric fire to bear upon RNS Charun and S21, RNS Choronzon and S22 were just rounding Petosi Point to the east. The invasion convoy itself had entered the Lindisfarne Strait - a move akin to sticking their heads in a noose. For the moment, however, TF34 concentrated their firepower against the battered enemy warships nearest to hand. 

Action joined off Petosi Point

The planned intervention by the other half of the escort squadron very quickly found their intervention interdicted. Coming up fast from the east, two destroyers led the rest of TF7 - a battleship (SNS Hakawai)and a cruiser (SNS Sarimanok). Closing rapidly into torpedo range, they opened a brisk fire upon Choronzon and S22, a fire as keenly returned. Lurking beneath the growing battle, submarine SU19 awaited its chance. To complicate the situation, the Ra'esharn Covering Force was also approaching from the northeast. The battle was about to become confused and frenetic. 

TF1 throws itself in the way of the Ra'esharn 
Carrier group south of Guanocanal.

Far to the east the gun-armed vessels of TF1 threw themselves into the path of the much more powerful Ra'esharn Carrier Group. The submarine SU47 having made its unsuccessful torpedo attacks soon found itself under depth charge attacks by destroyer R26. That abruptly ended SU47's part in the battle - and the war.

Action off Guanocanal

By this time a gunnery duel had begun between the Ra'esharn major units and SNS Gullincambe. Once SU47 had been dealt with, R25 and R26 set about dealing with the nearest enemy destroyer, S11. For the moment, S12 was too distant to offer much help. Before the range had closed, RNS Bushyasta had fired off a salvo or two at extreme range against SNS Bahamut, causing a certain amount of damage and a few fires. However, the carrier's operational functions remained unimpaired. As the cruiser Gullicambe and its consorts closed the range, Bushyasta and Cimijes had enough to do to clear them out of the way of their progress westward.

Ra'esharn takes some losses off the Petosi
Island group

Here was where the climax of the surface action was being played out. RNS Charun finally succumbed to the gunfire from Harrier and Heirax; and R21, heavily damaged tried to crawl away from the action. Choronzon also took a fair bit of incoming from Harrier, and began to withdraw northwards towards the Retosi Gap.  As the Saabian destroyers swung north to face the fresher Ra'esharn units, it was left to SU19 finally to put R21 out of its misery. Whilst the gunnery battle developed between TF7 and the Ra'esharn escort - such as survived -  and covering groups, the carrier Baki-kujira altered course to the southwest, and nearer to Bahomet, well south of the main action. 

Saabia carriers steering clear of the surface action.
SNS Bake-kujira is bombing up its aircraft for a strike...
against whom?

After a gunnery exchange with Ra'esharn's light units, Task Force 7's destroyers became the vanguard of the task Group. As S78 and R22 engaged in a running duel, S77 ran bull-headed, straight for the Barbatos. Releasing its forward torpedo at the battleship, S77 launched a battery at the cruiser, Chemosh. Dashing and bold as was this reckless charge, it received scant reward. Incoming fire from Barbatos's secondary armament and from Chemosh quickly sent S77 to the bottom. None of the destoyer's torpedoes hit their targets. 

By this time the main duel had begun. Hakawai and Sarimanok were facing Barbatos and Chemosh; but the latter duo had the destroyer R24 - and it was well within torpedo range of the enemy battleship. 

The end of SNS Hakawai.

The difference was decisive. The Ra'esharn concentrated most of their firepower against the Saabian battleship. Only the destroyer faced off against the Saabian cruiser. At that, Ra'esharn gunnery proved as good as it has always been (don't know why, but the dice always seems to run Ra'esharn's way, as previous actions have shown). The superior gunnery of Barbatos was augmented by torpedo strikes - the first from Chemosh, and the second from R24. That finished Hakawai. On fire and dead in the water, the battleship blew up, and sank.

Not that the Ra'esharn had come off unscathed. Although the damage to Barbatos was scarcely worth mentioning, Chemosh had taken a fair battering from less hard-pressed Sarimanok. Speed reduced, 'B' turret out of action, and smoking from several fires, Chemosh began to turn about, out of the action. Meanwhile, the duel between S78 and R22 left both in a sinking condition; and the cruiser Charonzon, lucky to survive the one-sided exchange of fire with TF34, was also staggering northwards, hoping to get by through the Petosi Gap. 

General view looking westwards

It was about this time that the Ra'esharn Carrier Force launched its air strikes against the Saabia carriers. Those attacks went in just as the battle off Petosi Point was reaching its climax.

Saabian carriers under air attack!

With fighter escorts, the squadrons from Azi-Dahak attacked Bahomet; whilst, some miles to the northwest, those of Achlys drove in on Bake-kujira. The fate of the attacks were very different.

Taking the latter first, the carrier, quite without escort, had only its own resources with which to fight off the attack. The fighters of both sides neutralised each other at the cost of four Ra'esharn escort fighters (1FP). 

Nor did the anti-aircraft fire prove effective in stopping the bombers. Already having taken losses earlier in the day, the three bomber squadrons between them comprised just 28 aircraft (7TF). 
Seven dice rolled: 2,2,3,3,4,5,5 => zero hits! Weaving and dodging as best it might under a deluge of bombs and torpedoes, SNS Bake-kujira survived the lot! 

What happened to SNS Bahomet?

So ... what happened to Bahomet? The attack that went in was about as strong as that against Bake-kujira. Again, the fighter escort kept the interceptors off the bombers, even shooting down some (1TF) of their number. Anti-aircraft fire, however, accounted for as many Ra'esharn bombers. Also reduced from earlier sorties, the bombers lost further aircraft, and reduced to 24 aircraft (6TF). Greatly determined, the attacks went in...

Six dice rolled: 2,2,4,5,5,6 - a hit.
... but what a hit! A six is required to score a hit, but any (and all) fives rolled with it also count towards the damage. Sixteen FP of damage Bahomet took. Added to the slight damage incurred a short while back, that was enough to finish off the aircraft carrier. The radio traffic cracked with the triumphant shouts of the jubilant pilots.

The orphaned Saabian fighter squadron could count itself lucky to find refuge upon the still afloat and operational Bake-kujira.

The defeat of TF1

Meanwhile south of Guanocanal, the overmatched TF1 'gun' vessels were being overcome. S11 disintegrated under gunfire and two(!) torpedo hits; and Gullincambe was reduced to a smouldering wreck, its after turret out of action, and forced to reduce speed (10FP damage) . Although Cimijes had taken a few damaging hits, it was still in good shape for further action. Bushyasta had received but one slightly damaging hit (1FP). Nothing could stop the Carrier Force joining the main action nearer New Sterling.

There, in a short space of time, Saabia had lost a battleship and an aircraft carrier - two major and valuable units. For their part, the Kiivar Task Force was still well and truly in being, only K43 being too knocked about to stay in action. Harrier and Heirax closed in upon the head of the invasion convoy, just then scrambling to escape from the bottleneck of Lindisfarne Strait.  But Ra'esharn had at the same time pretty much lost the services of three cruisers; Charun (sunk), Choronzon (crippled) and Chemosh (also barely afloat and under way).  Although TF7 had been effectively repulsed, there remained the convoy to protect.

Wild action in the Lorac Sea...

  The battle as yet was still far from over!

The invasion convoy - with large enemy units
far too close for comfort!

To be continued: one last air attack, and more surface action. Can the invasion group yet force their way through?